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{
    "id": 580012,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/580012/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 143,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kajuju",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 840,
        "legal_name": "Florence Kajuju",
        "slug": "florence-kajuju"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for this opportunity to speak to this Bill. I thank Hon. Keynan for finding it fit to bring this Bill for us to ventilate and pass it as a House to guide the proceedings of this House and the conduct of Members in as far as the proceedings are concerned. I have looked at this Bill and there are several very good issues and applicable. However, there are other areas that we need to firm up, so that we can come up with a clean law that is a fit for all purposes. Like other Members have said, we have the three Arms of Government and each one of them has its own powers to execute. We know the powers that the Judiciary and Executive have. We want to be clear in terms of what the Legislature can do or not do. Therefore, this is one of the ways in which we are ensuring there is clear separation of powers between the three arms of the Government. This Bill seeks to harmonise the various laws that have been in existence before the passage of the Constitution and after the passage of the Constitution. This will ensure that the clauses that, in any way, contradict or contravene the provisions of the Constitution are harmonized to bring up a proper law for the Members. The courts have their own ways of exercising their jurisdiction and discretion. When a magistrate or a judge sits, there is something that the courts enjoy. The courts have their dignity that must be respected. They exercise their authority and discretion when they are in session. They have laws that provide for the dignity of the courts to be upheld. The institution of Parliament must be dignified and respected by all the stakeholders within the institution and those who come in as guests of the House or as witnesses to give their testimonies to the House. For us to exercise the discretion of Parliament and put Parliament in its stature, so that it is respected by Members and especially the people who come from outside, then we must have a modus operandi to show how these persons are supposed to exercise the privilege that they have been granted when they enter Parliament. In the courts, they have something they call “contempt of court”. A judge or a magistrate can exercise his or her powers to cite a person who misbehaves in a court room for contempt of court. We also need to have such a law, so that any person who comes within the precincts of Parliament upholds the dignity of the Houses as it is expected of them. Therefore, this is a good way of ensuring that the conduct of any Member and those who come in as third parties is regulated. In the professional world, we have a professional code of conduct or ethics that guides the various professions. In the Law Society of Kenya, for example, we have the code of conduct that guides lawyers when they are practicing or appearing before The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}